


Whispers In The Dark

by heathlaw



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Romantic Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-13
Updated: 2015-06-23
Packaged: 2018-03-30 03:19:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3921001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heathlaw/pseuds/heathlaw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Felicity Smoak met Oliver Queen in college and fell in love instantly. But, then her roommate, Laurel Lance meets him and snatches him up from under her. Years later, Oliver and Laurel are engaged. But, will that all change when Felicity drunkenly admits she's been in love with Oliver since they met? AU OLICITY</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Mess I Made

**Author's Note:**

> This idea just kind of popped into my head after watching Something Borrowed and I decided to run with it hehe. Also, I don't have a beta, so all mistakes are mine. Hope you enjoy it and if you wanna talk to me at all, I'm over at oliverqueeens on tumblr :D

_"_ _Felicity Smoak?"_

_Her eyes looked up at the sound of her name and when they were met with his steel blue ones, she could swear her heart stopped beating.  She stood there flustered for a moment, watching as a small smile grew on his lips. "Hi yes. She is me. I am her. I uh, yeah..."  The color of her face had to be same color as the pen that was just dangling from her mouth.  She closed her eyes and counted in her head._ 3, 2, 1 _. "Yes, I am Felicity Smoak," she managed to get out as she opened her eyes._

_"I'm Oliver Queen," he stated, extending his hand out to offer a handshake to Felicity, an amused gleam his eyes.  "Professor Steele suggested your tutoring sessions to me, saying you were the best and brightest here at Starling City University."  The spark that went through Felicity's body as her hand grasped his made her softly gasp in surprise. She shyly looked up at him and could see that he felt it too._

_Taking her hand from his and brushing it against the front of her black pencil skirt, she smiled timidly. "Well, I wouldn't say the_ best _, but I'm probably the brightest," she said teasingly._

_"Well, I guess I will find out," he said with a wink._

_It was in that moment when he smiled that big, bright grin of his that Felicity Smoak knew she was done for. One more minute with him, and she would be head over heels. And that's exactly what happened._

\- - -

"You know, eventually when you run the company, these lunch dates will have to cease. Otherwise, everyone will think you are playing favorites." Felicity smiled as she took a sip of her iced tea, gazing at Oliver over the glass. Even as she said that, she had hoped they wouldn't stop. The two of them had been going to lunch together every Friday ever since Felicity got her IT job at Queen Consolidated. It had become somewhat of a tradition, and Felicity cherished every lunch they had together.

Oliver laughed and unfolded the napkin on the table, gracefully placing it over his lap. Her eyes latched onto his hands as he did so, watching as his fingers untangled the origami shaped napkin with precision.  "Trust me, my father doesn't plan stepping down anytime soon. And even when he does, these lunch dates, as you call them, won't stop. You're my best friend, Felicity. Of course I am going to continue them."

She felt her heart lift with joy as he spoke those words to her.  _Best friend_. Sure, Felicity wished their relationship was more than that, but it just wasn't in the cards for them, she supposed. "Well, I am glad to know that you won't forget the little people of the company when you are Mr. Big Shot."

"Oh stop, Lis. You know I could never forget you. How else would I have passed Computer Science in college? I wouldn't be sitting here across from you in this fancy restaurant buying us an expensive lunch if I hadn't." He smiled brightly at her and Felicity had to look away after a moment, the ever apparent feeling of love for him coursing through her veins. That damn smile; it got her every time.

"You mean, your dad's credit card is buying this lunch," she joked, looking back at him with a devilish smile.

She watched as he rolled his eyes, but still smirked back at her. Their friendship was an uncanny one, but Felicity was thankful everyday for the moment he walked into the tutoring center. The two had been inseparable after the first time they had met, which made no sense to Felicity since they were polar opposites. Oliver was the handsome, rich guy who could make any girl fall for him by saying "Hello" and Felicity was the intelligent nerd who blushed anytime a guy like Oliver looked her way. But, somehow the two of them fit well together and made quite the pair.

The conversation between them flowed as it normally did, discussing work topics, how Felicity's mother was doing in Las Vegas, and how Thea was liking her time at college, away from the protective claws of Moira Queen. It wasn't until the end of their lunch that Felicity noticed the change in Oliver's demeanor. His eyes shifted from hers to his plate or glass, whatever he could focus on that wasn't forcing him to hold eye contact with her. The way his hands fidgeted with the napkin in his lap, the tie around his neck, or how his thumb and index finger rubbed together when his hand was in sight; a tell-tale sign that he was nervous or his mind was in overdrive. Finally, Felicity caved.

"So, are you planning on telling me what's going on in that head of yours or do I have to sit here and watch you stew in your thoughts?" She cocked her head to the side, looking at him curiously, her long blond ponytail falling over her shoulder.

Oliver looked up at her and smiled softly, a smile that Felicity noticed he only did around her. Sometimes she liked to think of it as  _her_ smile. "It amazes me how well you know me sometimes," he stated, straightening himself as he sat upright more in his chair. "And I do plan on telling you. I just was having trouble deciding how to tell you."  He paused and stared at her for a moment before continuing. Now Felicity could feel her nerves start to bubble up. "I am going to propose to Laurel tonight. At the gala for my parent's charity for The Glades."

Felicity could feel her heart drop to her stomach. It was her turn to avoid eye contact with him. The news shouldn't have astonished her as much as it had; she knew it would happen eventually. She just had wished it hadn't had to have happened at all. Before Oliver could realize the sadness that engulfed her, she quickly looked up with a bright smile. "Oliver, that sounds so great. I'm really happy for you and you know she's going to say yes."

In that moment, Felicity swore she thought his smile had wavered and a look of uncertainty cross his face, but in the blink of an eye, Oliver was back to normal. "Well, I'm glad you think so. Otherwise, the night could end quite embarrassingly." He laughed and so did she, but deep down, Felicity wished she was wrong and that Laurel  _would_ say no.

She stood up from her chair and walked over towards Oliver, leaning down with her arms opening to envelop him in a hug. The feel of his breath hot on her neck caused a chill to run down her spine and she closed her eyes for a brief moment, savoring what she could from this. She pulled away and leaned against the table. "So, I am sure that Tommy is already planning you the engagement party of the century," she stated, raising an eyebrow and earning a chuckle from Oliver.

"He's actually planning a  _week_ long party if you can believe that. The beach house is currently stocked with more booze and food than is feasibly imaginable. And don't worry, I already cleared you coming with us with my father. Although he tried to fight me on it, I convinced him the IT department could survive a week without you." 

"Oh, trust me, I am sure plenty will go wrong that week that none of the other employees will be able to handle. Robert tells me every time he sees me that he's glad you referred me to the company. Apparently, I'm the only competent one that works there." Felicity moved back over to her seat, a thought nagging at the back of her brain. Was she the last one to find out about the proposal? Well, aside from Laurel of course. "So, when is this debauchery taking place?"

Oliver waved the waitress over, motioning with his hands they would like the check. "It's a little last minute, but next week. Thea, Sara and Roy are coming also. And you know you're more than welcome to bring someone if you want."

Oh, Felicity knew she was going to need to bring someone. She couldn't sit around in that beach house and watch Laurel and Oliver be all lovey dovey and unable to keep their hands off of each other with the engagement high. "I think I will. I have been talking to someone from the Forensics Department at the police station actually."

Oliver's head whipped from signing the receipt and Felicity looked at him oddly. Was it that much of a surprise that she could get a guy to like her? "Oh, that is awesome. Yeah. Bring him," he said encouragingly. A little too encouragingly for her taste.

As they walked out of the restaurant, Oliver went to open Felicity's door to his Mercedes before she put her hands up to stop him. "No, it's okay. I actually think I'm going to walk back to Queen Consolidated." His brow furrowed with what looked like a mixture of concern and confusion, and asked if she was sure. "Yeah, I'm sure. It's a beautiful day and I just want to enjoy the fresh air." Which was a total lie. Felicity needed some time alone to absorb the fact that the man she's been madly in love with for the past several years is about to take himself off the market completely. She knew that Oliver would sense something was wrong on the ride back to work, and that was a problem she couldn't deal with right now.

They hugged each other goodbye, and as Oliver drove off, Felicity finally allowed the tears she had been holding back begin to form and fall.

\- - -

_"So what you're saying is that you could never go to Australia because you are terrified of kangaroos?"  Oliver stifled his laughter as Felicity nodded her head. The two were at his apartment, lounging on the couch with a bowl of popcorn in the middle of them as old episodes of Criminal Minds played in the background. They had been become close friends quickly after their few weeks of tutoring and eventually, Oliver suggested they start studying at his apartment, claiming it was a more comfortable setting. What he didn't tell her was that he just wanted a reason for their sessions to be prolonged, and to see her in his apartment. "Please explain to me this fear."_

_Felicity rolled her eyes in response and leaned over to grab her textbook off the coffee table. "Or, we could stop dilly dallying and start studying the review for your test tomorrow."_

_"But, I think listening to, what I am sure is a very rational reason about why you are afraid of kangaroos, would be so much more interesting." He couldn't help but find her completely adorable as she stared at him with a harsh glare and threw a handful of popcorn at him._

_"It's more of a phobia, they just wig me out, okay? Let's just leave it at that and if you do well with this study sheet, I'll go into more detail. Deal?"_

_Oliver smiled brightly at her and nodded in agreement. "Deal."_

_Later that week, Felicity opened her dorm room door to find a stuffed animal kangaroo sitting outside of it with a single tulip in its hands and a note attached._

Hopefully this kangaroo doesn't "wig" you out.

\- O

_All she could do was smile._

\- - -

Oliver had done what he could back in college to show Felicity he cared for her on a level that was more than just as a friend, but each time he tried, Felicity never took the bait. He hadn't know if she was oblivious to his attempts or if she didn't feel the same about him that he felt for her. Either way, Oliver never spoke up about he felt, afraid he might ruin the beautiful friendship the two of them shared, and if that was the only way he could have Felicity in his life, then he would keep his mouth shut.

He stood in his bedroom, staring at the large diamond ring in the navy blue velvet box in his hands. There was still a part of Oliver that cared for Felicity on a deeper level, and he had thought eventually she would be the one he would propose to. When he had finally grown the courage to admit to her at lunch today that he was going to propose to Laurel, Oliver had secretly hoped that Felicity would tell him not too. That he was making a mistake because she was in love with him and that they should be the ones to get married. Seeing and hearing Felicity's reaction would be the final judgment he needed to know if he was making the right decision in asking Laurel to marry him. And when she gave him her blessing, Oliver had figured it was time to lock his feelings for Felicity away forever. _  
_

Still, he felt guilty for thinking those thoughts of Felicity, knowing that even if he did marry Laurel, a piece of his heart would always belong to someone else. But, he would have to persevere on and try his best to give as much as his heart to Laurel as he could, now that he would be spending the rest of his life with her if she accepted his proposal.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I would think you are proposing to yourself." Oliver looked up from the ring at the sound of the familiar voice. He smiled at his childhood best friend and closed the box, placing it in the pocket of his black slacks.

"Well, not to toot my own horn, but I think I would treat myself wonderfully."  Tommy Merlyn laughed and walked towards the brown cabinet that held the bottle of scotch atop it, pouring two glasses, handing one to Oliver.

They clinked their glasses to one another's before each taking a sip.  Oliver welcomed the warm sharpness it sent down his throat, needing something to pull him back to reality. "You have your thinking face on. Care to share what's going on in that brooding mind of yours?"

Oliver sighed deeply, running a hand over his hair as he looked over at Tommy. He had no way out of this one, knowing how persistent Tommy could be, especially when he could tell something was bothering his friend. "I'm just nervous about tonight. This is my first time getting down on one knee and asking someone to marry me. It's really overwhelming." It wasn't everything that was on his mind, but hopefully it would be enough to keep Tommy at bay.

And when Tommy reached out to grasp his shoulder, Oliver realized thankfully that it was. "Let's hope it's your last time, too! Laurel is a great catch and she's absolutely crazy about you. Plus, I need her to say yes because we need to party as hard as humanly possible at the beach house next week. I already have a different date set up for every night to join me in the fun and I  _cannot_  let them down."

"Somehow I'm not surprised about that, Tommy," Oliver stated, patting him on the back as he walked past him to grab his suit jacket from the closet. Sliding it on, he could feel the nerves within him start to wake up. He glanced at his phone in his pocket, hoping to see a text or a missed call from Felicity; some kind of sign that what he was about to do in just a few short hours shouldn't be done. Sighing inwardly at the blank screen, he tucked it back in his pocket, facing his smiling friend and heading out to the car that was waiting for them.

"Let's go get you a fiance, my friend."

\- - -

_"Thank you so much for coming out with me, Felicity. I just needed a night out. Law school is kicking my ass and if I don't let loose now, I will surely die." Felicity watched with wide eyes as Laurel Lance threw back what had to be her third shot in the past half hour. Maybe her fourth._

_"Of course. But, are you sure you should be drinking this quickly?" The worrier that she was, Felicity was concerned about having to drag her roommate out of here. She wasn't exactly made of muscle._

_Laurel threw her head back in laughter, her brunette waves bouncing off her back as she did so. "Sadly, I am girl who knows how to hold her liquor. But, if it makes you feel better, I'll slow down." She looked at Felicity with sparkling eyes before turning to the bartender and ordering two glasses of Pinot Noir._

_"Why don't you make that three?"_

_Felicity felt her body go still at the sound of his voice and her heart soared. She had mentioned on a whim that she was going out to club, Haven tonight, hoping that he would show up and surprise her. She bit back the smile that wanted to take over her face at the fact that he did and turned to look at him. As usual, he looked drop dead gorgeous in just a pair of dark jeans and a dark grey v-neck sweater. Felicity told him countless times he was missing his calling as a male model._

_Before Felicity could get a word out, Laurel was there, smiling brightly at him and flipping her hair over her shoulder. Felicity groaned inwardly, knowing that was Laurel's signature move when she was about to turn her charm on. "And why should I do that?", she countered back. "Do I get dance out of it?"_

_Felicity could feel Oliver's eyes on her as she stared at the floor. Laurel had no idea about the humongous torch she held for Oliver in her heart. Otherwise, she knew her friend wouldn't be flirting like this. Finally, Oliver cleared his throat, and moved himself closer to them. "That all depends on if Felicity here doesn't mind."_

_Laurel's head whipped around to look at Felicity. "Don't you dare tell me that you've been hiding this hottie from me!"_

_Her face flushed bright pink and she wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole. She quickly laughed it off, shaking her head, making her blonde curls fly around. "Oliver is just a friend, we met when he came into the tutoring center," she blurted out. That was it. Felicity just sealed her coffin with that. Because Laurel gets what Laurel wants; and from the way her eyes hungrily gazed over Oliver, Felicity knew it was over._

_When her eyes finally met Oliver's, it made a wave of heat wash over her body. He almost seemed confused by what she said and Felicity thought just for second that maybe she was wrong. Maybe he was more than a friend. But, then that fleeting moment was gone as Oliver turned toward Laurel, flashing that brilliant grin of his and offering out his hand. "I guess I owe you a dance then."_

_As Felicity watched them head toward the dance floor, hands intertwined, she could hear the sound of her heart shattering into a million pieces._


	2. Love Love Love

Felicity stood outside her apartment, luggage on one side of her and Barry Allen on the other, his arm wrapped around her waist, as they waited for Sara's Range Rover to come down the street. Luckily, Barry was able to take off work from the Central City Police Department to join on her on what Felicity was sure was going to be an interesting stay at the beach house. Oliver had called her the day before to see if her and Barry wanted to ride with him, Laurel and Tommy, but Felicity wanted to limit how much time she was bound to be spending with the newly engaged couple, so she politely declined saying Sara had already offered. Then called Sara right after to see if they could ride with her and sighed with relief when Sara gladly obliged.

"Thank you for agreeing to come with me," she said, gazing up at Barry with a small smile. His grip tightened around her waist as he pulled her closer to him, kissing the side of her head. "I apologize in advance for the amount of insane shenanigans that are definitely going to happen, led by none other than Tommy Merlyn."

Barry chuckled in response. "Don't worry about it. I am actually looking forward to seeing just what kind of shenanigans are going to go down. That one story you told me about where him and Oliver got arrested because Oliver drunkenly peed on a cop car sounds like a real winner."

Felicity groaned inwardly, wishing she hadn't let that story slip. But, that's what she did best; babble on about things without knowing how to stop. "It may be best to not share with the group that you know about that one."

Barry nodded in agreement and pulled away from Felicity to grab her luggage as Sara pulled up, Thea sitting shotgun and Roy in the backseat. All three greeted them with a wave and a smile, and Felicity slid into the backseat as Barry walked to back of the Range Rover to throw the luggage in the trunk. Thea turned around to face Felicity and stated loud enough for Barry to hear, "He's a cutie, Lis. Good job!"

Her cheeks turned bright red as Roy rolled his eyes at his girlfriend. Sara just grinned at Felicity in her rear view mirror and waited for Barry to get in. As he settled in next to her, he reached over and squeezed her leg, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "Don't worry, you're way cuter."

"Oh, it's just Thea's job to embarrass everyone," Sara stated, earning a nod of agreement from Thea. "Once she gets to know you better Barry, you will be included in that."

Barry let out a genuine laugh, "Well, I will do my best not to give her any material to work with."

"Good luck, Bar. I always find a way." Thea turned around in her seat and wiggled her eyebrows at him playfully before glancing over at Roy. "Go ahead, babe. Tell them I'm right."

Roy glared at her for a moment before giving in to her command. His normal brooding self was unable to keep up the facade when he was around Thea. "In order not to get my ass kicked later and put in the dog house, I'll just say this: the woman is always right. No matter what."

Thea, seeming satisfied with that answer, smiled broadly and turned back around in her seat, kicking her feet up onto the dashboard. The car fell silent for a little while, the sound of Mumford and Sons streaming through the speakers. But, Felicity knew eventually the mention of Oliver and Laurel would come up. She had hoped Barry hadn't felt her body go tense as Thea began to talk.

"So, who else is relieved that my big brother finally popped the question? He's only been with the girl for over 4 years. He had me wondering there for a little while if there was someone else in the picture who made him not want to fully commit."

"Honestly, I thought that too at one point," Sara chimed in. "Whenever I would ask him when he was going to finally put on a ring on it, he would give evasive answers as to why he hadn't yet."

Thea looked over her shoulder directly at Felicity. "You're his best friend. Did he ever tell you why he waited so long?"

Felicity just shook her head, because honestly, she hadn't a clue why Oliver had waited so long. Normally, when Oliver wanted something, he went after it with everything he had in him until he conquered it. But, when it came to Laurel, for once, Oliver took his sweet time. "No, he didn't. I just think he wanted to make sure the timing is right."

"Well, Laurel has been waiting for the past two years, so his timing was way off," Sara said, glancing at Felicity for a quick second before returning her eyes back to the road. "You know, Laurel used to say that Oliver was taking so long because he had feelings for you. It always made her feel a little self-conscious how inseparable you two still were, even after they began dating."

Felicity felt her body freeze with paralysis as she just stared through the dashboard, not knowing what to do or how to respond. She wished that were true, that Oliver had feelings for her, but he wouldn't have proposed to Laurel if he did. Luckily, Thea saved her from having to respond.

"Yeah, right. Ollie and Felicity, together? She is way too good for my brother. Barry here seems like the perfect match for her."

She sent Felicity a subtle wink and Felicity silently mouthed "thank you" to her. Thea was the only person, aside from her good friend, Caitlin Snow, that knew about her feelings for Oliver. Thea had confronted her one day at a party the Queens' were throwing for some charity, saying that if she stared at her brother, whose arm was wrapped around Laurel, any longer, the entire room would know she was in love with him. Of course, Felicity's entire face turned the color of her red dress and she quickly babbled out how she just was admiring the way he looked in his suit, not that she was admiring how _good_ he looked, but how good he looked if that made any sense and how she needed to just stop talking. Thea ate it all up with a grand smile and pulled Felicity over to the bar, admitting that she wished Felicity was the one with Oliver. She liked Laurel, but thought that Ollie was more of himself when he was with Felicity and that meant more to Thea.

The rest of the car ride was filled with talks of how many girls Tommy will bring to the beach house each day, when the first fight between Laurel and Sara would happen (because the two sisters butted heads  _constantly_ ) and who would be the first to get rip-roaring drunk. There was a current tie between Sara and Tommy. Barry's hand stayed intertwined with Felicity's for a majority of the ride and the closer they got to the beach house, the more Felicity was glad he was there with her. She wouldn't have to be at the house alone and witness the outrageous amounts of PDA between Oliver and Laurel at all times. Instead, she will be able to sneak off with Barry and pretend that her heart wasn't hurting. Still, a part of her felt guilty that she was using Barry as a shield, but she did genuinely like him and thought maybe this week spent together could ignite something more between them.

Because Felicity knew she would need to move on from Oliver eventually.

\---

Dusk had fallen and the sunset was illuminating reds, oranges and pinks across the sky. The ocean was calm and a soft breeze was drifting through the air, the smell of the salty water poignant. The group was outside on the back deck, scattered around a large table topped with empty beer bottles, barbecued dinner and wine glasses filled to the brim. Everyone was intoxicated, whether it was slightly or overly and Felicity and Sara had shared a high-five earlier after they won the bet of who would get drunk first. Tommy was passed out drunk in a canoe on the dunes by the house, his fingers still tightly wrapped around a bottle of beer. Thea had tried to pry it from his hand an hour ago, but Tommy just held on tighter, mumbling in his sleep the quote from Lord of the Rings, "My precious, my precious."

The conversation flowed easily between them all, and Felicity had to owe that to the copious amounts of wine, beer and vodka that they had all induced. Normally, Roy was not much of a talker, but tonight it seemed impossible to shut up him. Felicity watched on with glass of red wine in hand while Roy, Barry and Oliver all discussed what superhero they would rather be. Thea was perched upon Roy's lap and it was the first time that Laurel wasn't attached to Oliver's side, as her and Sara were sitting at the other end of the table talking about colors for the bridesmaid dresses. With her empty hand, Felicity reached out and gently massaged the back of Barry's neck, earning a broad smile from him before he responded to Roy's question.

"For me, I always wanted to be The Flash. To run at super speed and get wherever you need to be in seconds just seems so much convenient then sitting in Starling City and Central City traffic. Plus, I can be lazy and yet burn calories by taking a quick run around the block." Felicity couldn't help imagining Barry in red jumpsuit with a lightening bolt stamped on his chest and a giggle escaped her lips, all pairs of eyes turning to look at her.

"Sorry," she said quickly, her cheeks developing a blush as everyone stared at her. "An image of Barry dressed up in The Flash's costume just popped into my head."

Barry shook his head at her, but a laugh emitted from him and leaned in towards her, his face inches away from hers. "Are you trying to say you wouldn't find me sexy as The Flash?"

The heat rose in her body as she found Barry to be more bold when there was alcohol in his system. She didn't miss the wild look in his eyes or the way her insides tightened from it. "Well, I find superheros sexy in general, so maybe you should wear the costume one day and we will find out." Did that really just come out of her mouth? With everyone sitting there, watching as that just happened?

Thea let out a wolf-whistle and clapped her hands together, a bright smile on her face. "Well, well, well. It appears that petite innocent Felicity may not be so innocent after all," she stated with a wink. Felicity's entire body felt like she was thrown into an inferno as she took a big swig of her wine, trying to hide her embarrassment. She peered at Oliver over the rim of the glass and noticed him staring at her, a look of what could best be described as surprise mixed with jealously on his face. Why was he looking at her like that? Thea saw it too and she quickly came to Felicity's rescue. "How about you, big brother. What superhero would you be?"

Oliver pulled his attention off Felicity and looked at Thea, but not missing out of the corner of his eye how Barry wrapped his arms around Felicity's shoulders and bringing her in closer to him. "Being fast is great and all, but I would want to be the Green Arrow. I get to shoot arrows in people I don't like," his gaze shifting to Barry and a fake smile plastered on his face.

Felicity's eyes were about to bulge out of her head. What the hell was going on with Oliver? "On that note, I think it's time for another drink," Thea said hastily, jumping off of Roy's lap and reaching for Felicity's arm as she walked by. "Why don't you join me, Felicity."

As soon as they were out of listening reach, Thea gaped at Felicity. "Jesus, could my brother mark his territory any more? He practically was telling Barry to watch out."

Felicity thanked herself for bringing her wine glass along as she chugged what was left and walked over to the bar to grab an unopened bottle. Without even really thinking, she popped out the cork and just drank from the bottle. It was going to be one of those nights. Thea stood there, waiting for some sort of reaction from her. "I think he's just being a little overprotective. This is my first time bringing someone around him that wasn't Cooper, and we all know how greatly that ended."

Thea rolled her eyes and placed her drink on the bar, walking over to Felicity and placing her hands on Felicity's shoulders. "I know I shouldn't be saying this, and we can just claim it's the vodka talking here, but my brother is being more than just overprotective of you, Lis.  I think he's in love with you."

Going for just drinking out of the bottle was the best idea Felicity had all day. "If he's in love with me, why is he marrying Laurel?"

All Thea could really do was shrug because she didn't know the answer to that. "My brother has always been a complicated person. Honestly, I still haven't seen him show his true self to Laurel. I feel like he puts a front up when he's with her. But, when he's with you, it's a completely different story. Ollie allows his walls to come down and be himself around you, and I think that scares the ever living crap out of him. Laurel is his safety net, but you. You're just something else entirely to him." She paused and reached for her drink, finishing it off and refilling it. Before she left, she looked at Felicity one last time. "It's not too late, you know. They are just engaged, the wedding isn't until next year. Just don't wait too long, Lis. Because I don't know if he'll leave Laurel once they are married. He's always been old fashioned like that."

Felicity stared into the space where Thea had been and just stood there like a statue, unable to move. Her mind was reeling from Thea's revelation, thought after thought racing through the mess that was already up there when it came to Oliver. Was Thea right? Did Oliver have feelings for her? It would explain the looks she had sworn he had given her lately, and the comment that was clearly directed at Barry about shooting arrows into people he didn't like.

After Felicity gave herself some time to collect her thoughts, the bottle of wine half gone by that point, she finally went back out to the group, hoping no one would ask why she was gone for so long. Especially Oliver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the feedback :) I am glad you guys are enjoying it. Next up comes the drunken revelations ;)


	3. Take My Breath Away

The night had just about come to an end. Oliver and Roy had somehow picked up a drunk, sleeping Tommy and deciding to cut their losses short by attempting to carry him up the stairs to his room, they plopped him down on one of the couches. Felicity and Thea watched with awe as they carried him inside, knowing that Roy was obliterated and Oliver was pretty drunk himself. How they managed to even pick Tommy up from the canoe was a mystery to them. Sara was falling asleep at the table before Laurel reached over and nudged her awake, telling her she should call it a night. Eventually everyone followed suit and began to make their ways inside, but Felicity wasn't ready to go to bed yet.

She pulled back on Barry's grasp, making him stumble a little, which was probably from both the alcohol and the sudden movement. "Hey, I'm gonna go down to the beach for a little while," she said softly.

"Do you want me to come with you?", he asked, his glazed over eyes trying their best to focus on hers.

Felicity shook her head as a small smile graced her lips. "No, you go to bed. I just want to clear my head." She leaned up into him and placed a kiss on his lips, noticing Oliver staring at them as she came down. Her cheeks blushed as she quickly turned around and took the trail down to the beach. Oliver was the reason why Felicity needed to clear her head.

When she had come back to join the group after her little talk with Thea, Felicity did her best to act normal, but her gaze would constantly keep shifting to Oliver and wonder if what Thea had said was true. Did Oliver have feelings for her? It all seemed so silly to her to worry about it after awhile and she tried to put her focus back on the person who came here with her, Barry. If there was something between her and Oliver, it would have happened already. He was with Laurel and she was with Barry. Still, she could feel Oliver's eyes on her whenever she leaned into Barry's embrace when he put his arms around her or when he would kiss the top of her head. And that made her head spin all over again with the possibility that maybe Thea was right.

The ocean was still calm as Felicity stood where the water came in to the shore, the cool water splashing against her bare feet as they dug into the sand. The sky was completely clear of clouds and painted with hundreds of stars and the moon was full, shining its bright light over the ocean. She wrapped her arms around herself as a cool breeze came off the ocean and it made her wish she had grabbed her sweater before coming down to the beach. 

Then, all of a sudden, she felt someone putting something over her arms and before she even turned around, Felicity knew who it was just by the scent that surrounded her from the sweatshirt. She closed her eyes tightly and searched her mind for something to say, and nothing came out - which was completely unlike her babbling self. _Why had he followed her down here?_

"Because you looked like you could use someone to talk to."

Her eyes flew open.  _Did she really just say that out loud?"_

Oliver let out a loud laugh and came around to face Felicity, a broad grin on his face and a drunk look in his eyes. "Yes, Felicity. You did."

Her eyes shut again for a moment before she bravely opened them and stared at Oliver. She tugged on the sweatshirt he brought to her and pulled it tightly around her, "Thank you for the sweatshirt. Silly me didn't think it through all the way about needing one before I came down here."

"It's no problem. I thought you might need one." He paused as one of his hands brushed over his hair, and Felicity could tell he was thinking of what to say next. "Is everything okay?"

Unable to control it, a burst of laughter erupted from her as she stumbled backwards and fell onto the sand, clutching her stomach as Oliver looked at with pure confusion. Finally the laughing subsided and she laid back on the sand, her blond hair scattering out around her and she glanced up at Oliver, trying to focus as her world started to spin from all the wine. "Did you really need to ask me that?" 

Oliver raised an eyebrow and stared down at her before smiling and taking a seat beside her, falling onto his back as well. "Come on, you're my best friend. Tell me what's going through that pretty mind of yours."

Her heart skipped a beat as the word "pretty" stumbled from his mouth and she shook her head, biting her lip and gazing up at the stars. She could feel a brave confidence in herself, thanks to wine, to just tell him everything; how she felt, how she wished he was marrying him and not Laurel, how she wanted to rip every item of clothing off of him and taste every inch of his body. But, she held back for now, instead choosing to dance around the true issue running through her mind. "Do you ever wish you could go back in time and make a different decision?"

She could feel Oliver's eyes burning into her, but Felicity couldn't turn and meet his gaze, because if she did, there was no turning back. He was already too close to her as it was. His arm was lightly touching hers and she could feel the heat radiating off of his body. If she were sober, Felicity knew she would have better control of herself. Probably. But, right now, all kinds of self-control would be thrown out of the window if she looked at him.

"Yeah, I do actually." His voice came out in a low, husky sound and Felicity's heart sped up. And then just as quickly as it sped up, it stopped as Oliver's hand grasped hers. "I want you to be happy, Felicity. Please just tell me you're happy." There was a pleading in his voice that Felicity had never heard before.

It was in that moment that Felicity knew she had to tell him the truth. How much longer could she play this cat and mouse game with herself and him? She needed to lay it all out on the table and relieve the weight that had been laying on her shoulders. She never pulled her eyes away from the sky and they stayed glued there as she finally responded. "The happiest day of my life was the day that I met you. I'll never forget the way you smiled at me or how blue your eyes were. I started developing a crush on you in an instant. In fact, it grew stronger every moment that was spent with you. And I would be lying to myself and to you if I said I didn't still have feelings for you. Because, honestly Oliver, that crush never really went away."

Felicity could feel Oliver's body go still beside her at her revelation and he startled her by quickly sitting up and almost hovering his body over hers, forcing her to look at him. His eyes searched hers for what, she hadn't a clue. And even in the dark, his blue eyes still shone so brightly. "How come you never told me this before?"

She shrugged her shoulders and tried to look at anything but his face, failing miserably because how could she not look at that handsome face. "I was too scared it would ruin our friendship and that you could never feel the same way. And then that night in the club when you met Laurel and you danced with her, I knew I had made the right decision because if you had feelings for me, you wouldn't have danced with her."

Oliver closed his eyes tightly and his brow furrowed in frustration, taking a couple deep breaths before his eyes opened back up, and Felicity couldn't miss the darker look in them as spoke. "I danced with Laurel that night because you said we were just friends. Spoiler alert, Lis, I had a crush on you, too back then." He paused, a sly grin slowly taking over his lips. "And I would be lying to you and myself if I said I didn't still have that crush on you."

Felicity's heart was about to jump out of her chest. She could feel Oliver's body about to lower onto hers, knowing in just a few mere seconds his lips were going to be on hers. But, even in her drunken state, Felicity knew this was wrong. Her hands shot up to his chest, his very firm chest, and pushed him up, earning a bemused look from Oliver. "Wait, what are we doing?"

"Well, what I was  _about_ to do was kiss you. Something I've wanted to do since I saw you in the library with those bright pink colored lips." Felicity's face and entire body flushed, and she licked her lips, wanting that to happen very badly. Oliver's eyes went straight to her lips as she did so, and she swore a low growl escaped his body.

Her breathing quickened, and even though in the back of her mind, Felicity realized what they were about to get themselves into could only lead to trouble, she didn't care. She had wanted to kiss Oliver just as long as he wanted to kiss her, and that completely blew her mind. Before her heart could catch up with her mind, her hands flew up around his neck and brought him down to her, his lips crashing into hers with a hard kiss, all of their feelings of the past few years showing itself in the passion of the kiss. The taste of him ignited a spark within her and her body arched up, feeling his own growing arousal. He groaned into her mouth and Felicity could have combusted just from that sound.

The heated kiss between them felt as if it lasted forever and neither of them wanted to break apart to come up for air, but disappointingly, Felicity needed to breathe. Her chest was heaving as she caught her breath and Oliver's forehead met hers as he tried to catch his as well. The two of them laid there in silence, each of them trying to measure their breathing before eventually their breaths synced together and Oliver reached out to gently cup her face.

"That was one hell of a kiss," he breathed out softly and Felicity just laughed beneath them, in shock that it even happened in the first place. Of all the ways she imagined it would happen or how it would feel, nothing could have compared to what it actually was. It was the best kiss she had ever had. She looked into his eyes and bit her lip, earning another growl from Oliver as his eyes darkened again. "Please don't do that. I am trying very hard to control myself right now and not fuck you right here on the beach, and you biting your lip doesn't help one bit."

Her lip popped out of the hold from her teeth and she stared at him with surprise that that just came out of his mouth. "Plus, I want us to do this again sober, not when we are both intoxicated."

He rolled off her body and fell beside her, his hand finding hers again and sighed deeply. "What are we supposed to do now?", Felicity asked because now all of sudden, everything had changed. "You're still engaged to Laurel and I'm here with Barry. We can't just go back and announce that we kissed and plan on doing it again. Laurel would most definitely murder me and then you, and Tommy has so much planned for this week, I would feel bad making him cancel it all.

Oliver looked over at her and this time it was him who shrugged his shoulders, taking a few beats before he responded. "Let's not worry about that for now. We need to just get through this week and try to keep our hands off each other. When we get home, I will end things with Laurel." He squeezed her hand gently for reassurance. "I promise."

Felicity just smiled back and stared up at the stars once more, wondering what the hell she just got herself into.


	4. Tear In My Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I am honestly overwhelmed with the amount of love this story has gotten. Thank you all so much for reading, commenting, bookmarking and giving kudos. I greatly appreciate it and am so glad you are enjoying this little concoction of mine :)

The next morning Felicity woke up with a serious headache, a sign that her hangover was just beginning. She groaned loudly and stared up at the ceiling, inwardly cursing at herself for drinking so much wine. She thought back on the day before and how weird Oliver was being towards her and Barry, and that's when the memory of the night at the beach came running at her full force. Did that really happen or did Felicity just dream that it did? It wouldn't be the first time that she had a dream that felt like it had legitimately happened.

At first, she chalked it up to being a dream because realistically, Oliver and her kissing would  _never_ happen. But then, she froze right on the spot as she was getting out of the bed with Barry still fast asleep in it. The sweatshirt.  _Oliver's sweatshirt_. There it was, thrown over the desk chair in the bedroom and Felicity could feel all the blood in her body rush to her head.

That kiss _did_ happen.

\- - -

"That's it. I'm never drinking again." Tommy announced as he waltzed into the kitchen. His hair was extremely disheveled and his eyes were bloodshot, and yet somehow, he still looked deliciously handsome.

Sara, who was frying up some bacon and eggs for breakfast for everyone, let out a loud laugh and shook her head, glancing at Tommy over her shoulder. "Sure Tommy. And I am never going to kiss a girl again."

He responded in his typical mature way, by sticking his tongue out at her, and grabbed a mug from the counter and pouring himself some much needed coffee. Thea and Roy were cuddled up on the couch in the living room watching a movie on the television and Oliver and Laurel were sitting at the island in the middle of the kitchen reading the day's newspaper, Oliver reading the sports section and Laurel reading the business section as per usual. All who was missing was Barry and Felicity, which Oliver wasn't to happy about. His mind kept drifting to what they would be doing up there and the thought of it made him brew with jealousy.

"Hello, Earth to Oliver???" Tommy was standing beside him waving his hands in front of his face, pulling Oliver from imagining Felicity and Barry tangled up in the sheets. Oliver looked at him with confusion before Tommy repeated what he was saying. "I asked you if the LA Kings won last night."

He nodded his head and smiled as Laurel placed her hand on his arm, grabbing his attention. "Everything okay, babe? You've been a little off today."

Before he could answer, Felicity walked into the kitchen in pajama shorts that made her legs go for miles and a pink camisole tank top that hugged her curves perfectly. He couldn't tear his eyes off of her. Ever since the kiss they had shared last night, Oliver's senses when it came to Felicity were heightened to the highest level they've ever been and seeing her there, looking beautiful even with messy hair and sleepy eyes, made him want to grab her and kiss her again. She looked over at him and he watched as her cheeks turned bright pink, knowing that he had that kind of power over her to do that.

He was about to smile at her, but then Barry came tumbling in the kitchen after her and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing the top of her head before asking if she wanted any coffee. Oliver saw red. He looked back down at the newspaper as his hands gripped it, crumpling it and Tommy stared at him. "Wow buddy, did someone talk smack about your Kings in an article or something?"

Laurel's eyes were glued to him and Oliver already knew the look that was etched all over her face. She always had these keen senses about knowing when something was up with him. Now he just put himself in a position that he did not want to be in with Laurel; try and convince her that everything was fine.

Luckily, Sara walked over to the island and put the plates filled with bacon, scrambled eggs and toast on it, announcing to everyone that breakfast was ready. Oliver quickly made up his plate and began to stuff his face, hoping Laurel wouldn't try to confront him yet. Thea came bouncing in and began talking to Tommy about what the plans for the day were and everyone focused in on that conversation. Oliver let out a sigh of relief, knowing he was off the hook with Laurel. For now.

\- - -

Oliver and Tommy were setting up the volleyball net on the beach as Roy and Barry filled the cooler up as high as they could with bottles of beer before trudging it down to where everyone was getting situated. The girls had set up their beach chairs and towels, preparing for a day of sunbathing and watching the boys get all sweaty running around playing volleyball. They had all promised Tommy to play at least one game as he practically begged them at breakfast, ignoring the pleas from Felicity complaining about her terrible coordination and the fact that Thea  _just_ got her nails done the day before.

Felicity was trying her hardest to focus on Barry as the boys played, but couldn't help her eyes from shifting to admire how great Oliver looked in just his swim trunks. The man looked like a chiseled Greek god. It was truly unfair for him to even exist, to be honest. But boy was Felicity glad that he did. 

Of course, Oliver and Barry were playing opposite each other and Felicity could tell that Oliver was playing a  _little_ harder than he should be, even knowing the fact that Oliver was a competitive person. Felicity give him a sharp look at one point, telling him to knock it off when Oliver spiked a ball and nearly hit Barry in the face. And all he did was flash her a brilliant smile and she rolled her eyes at him, realizing this week was going to be one of the toughest she'll ever endure. Laurel was a smart girl and she would eventually catch on that Oliver was acting different.

In fact, Thea had already noticed the change in her brother. Last night, she noticed him not come inside with everyone else and follow Felicity down to the beach and this morning she decided to keep a close eye on him. She saw how his eyes followed Felicity as she came into the kitchen this morning and the look on his face as he took her in. And she  _definitely_ noticed the harsh lines that formed on his face as Barry came in and pulled Felicity into his arms. He was damn lucky that Laurel was listening to something Sara was telling her because if she had seen that, Oliver would be in deep shit. Now, as she watched how intense Oliver was playing volleyball, Thea knew something had changed between his brother and Felicity and she was about to find out just what that was.

"Hey Felicity, wanna come up to the house with me real quick? I could really use a fruity frozen drink right now." Felicity nodded and got up from her beach chair, not having any clue about the conversation they were about to have when they got up to the house.

"So want to explain what's going on with you and Ollie?", Thea asked as she reached down to grab the blender from the cabinet by the stove.

Felicity felt her body go cold as she stared at Thea, not sure how she knew or what to say, so words just began to tumble from her mouth.  _Classic Felicity_. "If I tell you, you can't say anything because I'm already afraid that Laurel is going to find out and murder me then Oliver. Or maybe Oliver first and then me. You know, like in some twisted scary way, make me watch as she does it while I'm tied up to a chair and can't scream because there is duct tape over my mouth. And you are looking at me like I am crazy person, so I'm going to stop talking in 3.. 2.. 1."

Thea just stood there, a stunned look at her face before she busted out in laughter at Felicity's insane outburst. "What did you and my brother do?!" _  
_

"Ugh, we just kissed. And it was a perfect kiss," Felicity explained as leaned her elbows down on the counter and cradled her head in her hands. "He followed me down to the beach last night and, while I fully blame it on the alcohol, I ended up admitted that I had feelings for him. Which in turn is where you are allowed to say I told you so because you were right. He has feelings for me too, and all of a sudden we were kissing. Oliver said we will just go back to our normal lives for the rest of the week until we get home to figure everything out, but he's acting all jealous when it comes to Barry and Laurel is going to catch on if he doesn't stop. I mean clearly he's not acting normal if you noticed something was going on."

The smile that was on Thea's face had to of been the biggest Felicity had ever seen on her face. She squealed with delight and ran over to Felicity, enveloping her into her tiny arms. "I  _knew_ my brother had the hots for you! I just knew it!" She pulled back from her and headed back to the blender to make her drink. "I guess this means  _you'll_ be my new sister-in-law, not Laurel," she stated as she wiggled her eyebrows at Felicity.

Felicity groaned inwardly, but couldn't help to feel special about how happy Thea was with these current turn of events. "I am not looking forward to the drama that is going to happen in the wake of all of this. I love Laurel, she's a great girl, but she also is the best person at holding grudges and I don't think she will ever forgive Oliver or me for this when she finds out. She's so in love with him."

Thea scrunched her nose as she cut up some pineapple. "Since we are being honest here, I don't think she loves Oliver as much as we all think she does. I think she has stayed with him because he has a stable life and can offer her the world. I actually think she has a thing for Tommy."

"No!", Felicity shouted as her eyes grew wide and Thea just nodded.

"A few months ago when Tommy opened up Verdant and had that grand opening fiesta, and Oliver couldn't be there until later that evening because of work, Laurel came without him and just the way she was around him raised some red flags for me. She is different around Tommy when Oliver isn't with her. I don't know how to explain it, but Laurel seems lighter when she is with Tommy, more open and smiley," Thea explained, waving her hands around as she talked and Felicity kept her eyes attached to the knife in her one hand, afraid it might go flying out of it. "She puts up this business-esque front with my brother, and I don't doubt that she cares about him, but I don't think she is truly in love with him.  _You_ , on the other hand,are totally head over heels for Ollie. And last night proves to me that he feels the same about you."  


Felicity sat there in silence for a moment, unsure how to respond to all this new information that Thea was throwing at her. Felicity had always thought that Tommy had a crush on Laurel, but never the other way around. "You are very perceptive, Miss Queen. You should be a private detective or something because you seem to find out everything."

Thea laughed as she poured the pina colada in her glass and placed the pineapple on the edge of it. "I just keep my eyes open and pay attention, that's all. I bet if you did the same, you would notice everything I do, too."

\- - -

Later that night, after a disastrous game of volleyball where Felicity tripped over her own two feet trying to run to hit the volleyball and ended up with a face full of sand, Felicity got all dressed up for a night of dancing at a local bar. She wore her favorite red dress that was tight in all the right places and had cut-outs on the sides, revealing the perfect amount of skin. Her long wavy blonde hair came out of its normal ponytail and fell down across her shoulders and she applied a little bit of red lipstick. Giving herself one last look over, she grabbed her clutch from the bed, pulled on her black pumps and heard Thea downstairs yelling for whoever was left up there getting ready to "hurry their asses up and get moving".

She came out of the bedroom without really paying attention and collided with a very built body, and knowing her luck, it was Oliver that she ran into. He took a step back from her and Felicity watched as his eyes roamed her body from the bottom to the top. When his eyes finally came back up and connected with hers, there was a hunger in them that she had never seen before. In two quick steps he grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the bedroom, closing the door and slamming her back up against it.

His hands were on either side of her head as he trapped her there with his body and his lips were on top of hers. Without even thinking, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her, _needing_ him closer to her. She felt him moan into her mouth as she did so and kissed her more deeply, their tongues dancing with each other.

After another warning yell from Thea came up the stairs, Oliver reluctantly broke the kiss and backed away from her, a sly smirk plastered on his face. "You look absolutely ravishing," he said simply before he pushed her aside softly, opened the door and headed downstairs.

Felicity couldn't leave that quickly. She needed a moment to pull herself together and wrap her head around what the  _hell_ just happened. If that was any inkling of how her night was going to be, Felicity knew she was in for a load of trouble.


	5. Hurricane

Haven was packed.  _Seriously_  packed. The group was lucky that they were able to grab a bar table that just happened to open up as they were walking in. Of course they had earned dirty looks from patrons that had been there before them, hoping to get a table, but Tommy was too quick for them and gave onlookers a shrug as if saying you've gotta be faster. The girls all took a seat on the four stools surrounding the table as the boys all went to the bar to order the drinks. The dance floor was crowded with dancing bodies and Thea could not wait to get out there and shake her groove thing.

"This place is insane tonight!", Thea shouted over the loud music playing from the DJ across the bar. Pitbull was streaming from the speakers and Felicity couldn't help but sway her body to the beat a little.

Sara nodded in agreement as she gazed over at the bar, locking eyes with a dark haired girl who smiled at her. She smiled back shyly and turned away, locking it away in her mind that she would go over and introduce herself later. "Well, apparently it's Ladies' Night according to the sign outside the bar, so what do you expect?"

"I think we should except to get hit on when the boys aren't around," Laurel stated as she nodded towards a small group of guys standing nearby, clearly unable to stop staring at them. "The one in the red cap can't seem to keep his eyes off you, Sis." Laurel laughed as she nudged Sara with her elbow. "Should we break his heart and tell him you don't swing that way?"

A mischievous grin spread across Sara's face as she whipped her head around and caught him looking at her. He flashed her a slimy grin and Sara lifted her hand, waving for him to come over. His buddies encouraged him by giving him a slap on the back and hollering "Go get her!" and Sara could hear her friends trying to hide their laughter. This poor guy had no idea what was coming to him.

He sauntered over to her and leaned against the back of her bar stool, a bottle of beer lazily hanging from his hand and smiled at her again. "Hey, I just have to say you are something _fine_ , girl."

Felicity snickered loudly and quickly covered it up with a cough, pretending to clear her throat. "Wow, that is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me," Sara retorted back. "What's your name?"

"Kevin," he answered, lifting his empty hand in the air for a handshake. "And what's yours, beautiful?"

Sara reluctantly grasped his hand and immediately wished she could wash her hands right after. The guy was a pure slime ball. Still, she kept a fake smile plastered on her face. "I'm Sara."

"Well, Sara. Can I buy a drink?"

"Sure can, Kevin. But, let me just fill you in on one quick thing before you decide if that's really what you want to do." Sara paused and watched as Kevin's smile faded slightly. "Actually, let me rephrase that. I wanted to congratulate you. At this table of four beautiful women, you just so happened to hone in on the girl that is 100% not into dudes. Really, I'm flattered that you keep undressing me with your eyes, but it ain't gonna happen, buddy. And as you leave here with your tail between your legs, do me a favor and tell your ogling friends over there that this table is spoken for, so the unwanted staring can cease and desist." She smiled proudly as Kevin looked as if he was just slapped in the face. "Still want to buy me that drink, Kevin?"

At first, Kevin was speechless, his brain still processing the mind fuck Sara just served him before he shook his head. "I, uh, I think I will just be on my way," he stuttered out before turning to leave.

"Good call, Kevin. Good call."

Thea and Felicity busted out in laughter as Kevin walked away and Laurel and Sara exchanged a high five. The boys were just making their way over as they saw the stranger leaving the table and the interactions occurring between the ladies. "What did we just miss?", Tommy asked. 

"The iconic moments when a guy tries to hit on Sara," Laurel explained.

Tommy pouted as he placed some drinks on the table. "No! Those are my favorite things to witness. I am so upset that I just missed that."

Sara chuckled, reaching over to pat Tommy on the back. "Don't worry, Merlyn. It'll happen again. It always does."

\- - - -

Two hours, five Beyonce songs and six drinks deep each later, everyone was on the dance floor. Even Roy Harper. Thea marveled at the fact that her stoic boyfriend was letting loose so far on this vacation and actually enjoying himself. It was a sight to see and Thea couldn't be happier to witness it. Sara was in a dark corner of the dance floor, her hands settling on the waist of the dark haired vixen she noticed earlier, pulling her closer to her body. Laurel had her back pressed up against Oliver as they swayed to the beat of the newest Flo Rida song blasting from the speakers and Tommy was leaning in close to a platinum blonde chick in the skimpiest dress Laurel had ever seen. Her eyes narrowed at the two of them and a slow wave of jealousy washed over her, but she quickly shook it off, hoping Oliver didn't sense any tension radiating off her body. He didn't. His eyes were focused on Felicity, who was wrapped up in Barry's arms and laughing at something he must have said. For Oliver, his jealously consumed him in a rush and only grew stronger as Barry leaned in to kiss Felicity, a kiss that lasted much longer than Oliver liked. 

Felicity could feel Oliver's eyes burning into her skin, but she kept her eyes on Barry, not wanting to draw unwanted attention from anyone. Thea was the only one who knew about her and Oliver and she wanted to keep it that way. Barry twirled her around and turned her so her back was to his front and rested his chin on her shoulder, his breath tickling the back of her neck. Even drunk, Barry still had suave dance moves. "Dancing with you might be my new favorite thing," she heard him whisper into her ear.

A giggle escaped her lips and she reached up to latch her hand behind his head, turning her head sideways to kiss him. There might be some unfinished business with Oliver, but that didn't mean Felicity couldn't have some fun. He was the one engaged; not her. Barry, on the other hand, was here for her, and only her. And it didn't hurt one bit that he was a really good kisser. It made her kind of sad in a way knowing that if things with Oliver turned out how she wished they would, there wouldn't be a future for her and Barry.

Oliver couldn't watch it anymore. Felicity was going to be his and seeing another man with his arms around her, dangerously close to her chest and kissing her lips was more than he could handle. He detached himself from Laurel, explaining that he needed a quick break from dancing and another drink before walking over towards Felicity, discreetly touching her arm and motioning for her to follow him. He had no control over whether she would or not, but he had hoped it wasn't the latter.

Ordering a beer for himself and a tequila sunrise for Felicity, he stepped outside and waited. He leaned up against the building and closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his thoughts and what he would say to her. He couldn't just tell her that Barry needed to stop touching her. He didn't have the right. But damn it to hell, he could at least try.

It felt like it had been forever, but a few short minutes later he heard the bar door swing open and close and could smell her perfume before she approached him. He opened his eyes to see her standing there, arms crossed over her chest and a small scowl on her lips. Even annoyed, she still looked beautiful. He smirked and passed the drink to her, which she took begrudgingly. 

"You better have a good reason to drag me out here." Seriously, she was so adorable annoyed!

He reached out to gently graze her arms with two of his fingers and continued to smirk. "What, missing being around you isn't enough?"

Felicity rolled her eyes, but Oliver swore he saw a glimpse of a small smile grace her lips before she masked it with that scowl. "You were just around me in there! What's the difference between that and right here?"

"Oh, it's a big difference," Oliver stated huskily, enveloping his entire hand around her arm and attempting to pull her closer to him to kiss her. To his surprise, she pulled her arm from his grasp and placed her hand on his chest, pushing him back against the building.

"Oh no, mister. There will be no more of that until you are officially un-engaged." She reluctantly removed her hand from his very built, firm chest and stepped back. Felicity needed to do this. She needed to stand her ground and let him know sneaking around wasn't her thing. "You are here with Laurel, you should be kissing her, and likewise for me with Barry."

That wasn't the response Oliver was looking for. His eyes narrowed and an unexpected anger grew inside of him, filling in the space between them that Felicity created. "You expect me to just sit there and watch as he kisses you and touches you? I will go inside and break off my engagement with Laurel right now if that's what it takes because there is no way in hell I will allow  _that_ to happen."

Felicity looked at him with an incredulous look in her eyes. He had to be kidding her. "I don't know who you think you are, Oliver, but you do not own me. And as of right now, I am not  _yours_. And if you keep up this barbaric act, I don't want to be." She paused, closing her eyes and reaching up to clutch the bridge of her nose. He was driving her up a wall. "Do you think it's been easy for me to watch you and Laurel be together all these past years? Because it damn well hasn't been. But I can deal with it for a few more days so we don't draw attention to ourselves and cause a full blown war between all of us. We need to keep up appearances, so yes, I will be spending my time with Barry doing whatever I please, and you can do the same with Laurel, no matter how much neither of us doesn't like it."

Oliver shook his head and laughed at how ridiculous this all was. All he had wanted was to be with Felicity and now that his chance was finally here, he _still_ had to wait for it. His anger slowly dissolved and even though he was sure she would smack his hand away, he reached out and tucked a strand of her hair that had fallen behind her ear. Once again she surprised him because she didn't stop him. "As long as I get to make you mine once this week is over, I will do what you need me to do.  Doesn't mean I like it, but I'll do what appeases you."

His hand was cupping her face and Felicity allowed her head to fall against it, smiling softly at him as he cradled her. "Oliver, I've always been yours.  It just took us this long to figure that out."

The feeling that his heart was about to burst from his chest just from how much he loved her was something he had never experienced with Laurel. Had he fought harder to make Felicity see he had cared for her, they wouldn't be in this position at all. "Let's get back inside before suspicions arise and a war breaks out," he teased, mocking her words from moments ago.

"Hey, just trust me. The wrath of Laurel is never a pretty sight."

\- - - -

Oliver and Felicity had been worried they would be the ones to draw attention to themselves and cause a rift. But it wasn't them that would. It was Tommy and Laurel.

Thea noticed them first. She stood there like a deer caught in headlights, unsure whether to act as if she wasn't witnessing what she was seeing or if she should cause a scene. She didn't have the chance to make her up mind as Oliver came up behind her with Felicity. Before she could distract either of them, she saw the look on Oliver's face as his gaze followed hers and heard the small gasp that escaped from Felicity. 

Thea wasn't sure how she expected her brother to react. Would he hulk out and rush over there, throw Tommy on the bar and start punching his lights out? Would he tear the two lovers apart and tell Tommy their friendship was over and call Laurel rude names? Would he act like he didn't see it and just walk away? 

What she definitely had not expected was Oliver to start laughing. Felicity and Thea both stared at him as if he had six heads, unsure how to gauge his reaction. Laurel must have recognized the sound of Oliver's laugh so close that she pushed Tommy off of her and stared at Oliver with shocked eyes. Tommy was about to object to her movement, but he felt a strong hand on his shoulder and immediately knew who it was and his entire body tensed up, a look of pure fear overtaking his face.

"Oliver," Laurel squeaked out, her face the reddest Oliver had ever seen it. "This isn't what it looks like."

Oliver laughed once more and shook his head. "Oh no, I am pretty sure that this is exactly what it looks like. My fiance and my best friend making out. What, are you going to tell me that Tommy tripped and his lips fell onto yours? We aren't in high school, Laurel."

Laurel opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. "That's what I thought," Oliver remarked.

His grip tightened on Tommy's shoulder as he turned to face him. "Why don't you and I go talk outside?" It wasn't much of a request judging from the tone of Oliver's voice. It was an order.

Oliver avoided Felicity's gaze as the two of them passed by and her nerves spiked up. This could be the answer to all of their problems, not that it was a good thing. His best friend since he was a child did one of the worst acts of betrayal and she wasn't sure how quick Oliver would be to forgive him, no matter the fact that he had planned on breaking things off with Laurel. There was a bro code between the two of them and Tommy should have followed it.

"I swear I can explain, Ollie," Tommy began, but Oliver raised his hand, cutting him off before he could finish.

"I am not mad. I should be, but I am not." He sighed and ran a hand over his head, distraught with the current events. "I am not exactly a saint right now, either. I kissed Felicity. Last night and today. So, how can I reprimand you for kissing Laurel when we are sitting in the same boat, sailing across a very dangerous ocean."

Tommy was stunned by Oliver's revelation. The two had always been cut from the same cloth. He shifted his feet back and forth, unsure how to respond. "I guess we both owe each other an explanation. I'll go first." He paused and gave an uneasy smile, hoping Oliver wouldn't punch him after this. "Tonight wasn't the first time Laurel and I kissed. We actually have been sneaking behind your back and hooking up for awhile now. We both have been wanting to tell you, well no,  _I_ wanted to tell you. But, Laurel always stopped me from doing so. I don't think she was ready to leave you yet, leave the life of luxury of being in the Queen family. She loves you, but she hasn't been  _in_ love with you for quite some time now. I honestly was surprised she even accepted your proposal, but like I said, I don't think she wanted to leave this life behind." He stopped, searching Oliver's face for some type of reaction, but he remained impassive, waiting for Tommy to finish. "She never wanted to hurt you and neither did I. These things happen, which sounds so shitty, but it's true. I tried so hard to control myself and pretend I wasn't attracted to her, but it was too fucking hard. And then one night, we happened to run into each other on the street and one thing lead to another. I just need you to know I am  _so_ sorry and I understand if you need time to process all of this and punch me in the face. I totally deserve it."

Oliver nodded as Tommy finished, taking it all in. He was surprised that this had been going on for awhile, but Laurel had been distant lately and this explained why. He turned his head and looked up into the night sky, wondering how he got to here, to this moment in his life when everything was being thrown into a whirlwind. "As much as punching you in the face would be great and probably bring me some type of satisfaction, I'm not going to do that. Am I hurt that you two have been sneaking around and fucking? Of course. And it's going to take me some time to completely forgive you for that. But, Tommy, I'm not in love with Laurel.  I don't think I ever was. It's always been Felicity, but we missed our moment way back when. I was using Laurel to mask my feelings and try to move on from the girl that I truly wanted and thought I could never have."

"Can I ask what changed?" There was a timid tone to Tommy's voice, afraid to overstep any boundaries with Oliver after what he just revealed.

Oliver smiled, a smile Tommy hadn't seen on his best friend's face in quite some time. "She admitted to me that she had a crush on me since the day we met, and that she has loved me all this time and just kept it to herself. Tommy, it was the best feeling in the world to hear those words come out of her mouth. I had been waiting and hoping for that to happen for as long as I can remember."

Tommy returned the smile and placed a hand on Oliver's shoulder, knowing they both were now between a rock and a hard place. Where they went from here, neither of them knew. "Well, I'm happy you finally got the girl of your dreams, my friend. Might not have been under the right circumstances, but you got her."

Oliver laughed, shaking his head in agreement. "The funny thing is, I'm happy for you too. We just might be the most unconventional best friends in existence."

"Hey, our parents always told us we would be trouble."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sooooo, this story is completely going down a different road than I had intended, but regardless, I like how it's flowing together. I hope you guys liked it! Thanks for all the love!


	6. Like I Can

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've kind of lost my mojo a little bit with this story, but I am trying hard to finish it (and I have an idea for another story). So I've decided there will only be four more chapters after this one! Just gotta tie up the loose ends and see where Oliver and Felicity's journey leads them! :)

That night and the next morning, after the reveal that Tommy and Laurel had been having a secret affair, everyone was walking on eggshells. Oliver had slept in an extra guest room, unable to face Laurel last night even though him and Tommy had hashed things out. He wasn't pleased with his best friend's actions, but he would be a hypocrite to sit there and just yell at him for it. Oliver was happy to be able to finally tell someone about the way he felt for Felicity. And Tommy had promised not to say a word to anyone, especially Laurel. That was a conversation Oliver and Laurel needed to have themselves.

The way all the events had unraveled was unfortunate and quite... odd. Was luck really on his side that much? Was fate trying it's damnedest to get Felicity and him together? Oliver hadn't a clue, but things were happening how they were and they would all just go along for the ride, figuring it out as comes.

Oliver grabbed his phone from the nightstand beside his bed and saw two texts. One from Felicity and one from Laurel. He couldn't stop himself from smiling at seeing Felicity's name there and opened hers first.

_Going for a bike ride and out to breakfast with Barry, I'll be back later. Let's find some time to talk today if we can. xo._

He could feel the jealously rising in him knowing that she would be spending the morning with Barry. Hopefully she would stop any advances Barry might make now that him and Laurel were officially done. Well, not _officially_ officially since they hadn't talked yet, but Oliver was sure that was what her text message was about. And he was right.

_Ollie, can we talk about all of this please? Maybe we can meet down at the beach this morning after your run. Lmk._

Oliver sighed outwardly and responded with a quick "sure" before putting the phone back down and getting up from the bed. Luckily, he had grabbed his duffle bag that had his running clothes from the bedroom he shared with Laurel last night before coming to the guest room. As he was about to get changed, there was a knock at the door before it opened and his younger sister stuck her head in. They each smiled softly at the other as Oliver motioned for her to come in.

Thea plopped down on the bed, peeling a banana she brought with her as she looked up at Oliver. "So, seems like you've had quite the week, big brother."

"It's been a little crazy." He paused, a look of realization hitting him as he glanced over at Thea. "Wait, what else do you know?"

Thea smiled and raised an eyebrow as she took a bite of the fruit. She had promised Felicity she wouldn't say a word about knowing they had shared a moment, but after last night, everything was fair game now. "That you and Felicity  _finally_ admitted to having feelings for each other."

His eyes narrowed as he pulled his running sneakers from the bag, taking a seat on the fabricated bench in front of the bed to put them on. "I am going to take a guess here and say that Felicity told you." As Thea nodded, Oliver felt a smile grow on his lips. He had always liked how close Thea and Felicity had become. "And how did you know that I had feelings for her?"

Thea rolled her eyes at her brother, as if him asking that question was necessary. "Come on, Ollie. It was practically painted on your forehead. You never looked at Laurel the way I would see you look at Felicity. And you have this smile on your face whenever you are around her or are talking about her." As Oliver's lips turned up into the smile Thea was referring to, Thea excitedly pointed at him. "That one right there! I honestly have no idea why it took you guys this long to finally realize it."

Oliver shrugged, unsure himself. "We just kept missing our moment, I guess." He sighed and stood up from the bench, walking over towards Thea. "This is going be quite a mess to clean up. Mom isn't going to be happy at all. She was so excited about the engagement and already had the announcement put in the newspaper." He ran a hand over his head, a nervous tick of his that Thea noticed instantly.

She reached out and gently wrapped her hand around his. "Well, I'll be by your side to help you. I have been Team Felicity since the day I met that girl. She's something special and while Mom will be in rare form at the beginning, she will get better eventually. Because she loves Felicity, too."

Oliver smiled broadly at his sister, wondering how lucky he had been to be blessed to have a sister like her. He leaned down and enveloped her in a tight hug, "Thanks Speedy. I love you."

"I love you too, big brother."

\- - - -

When Barry told Felicity that he was falling for her, she was sure her jaw just about dropped to the floor. That was the last thing she had expected to happen on this trip, and  _a lot_ had already happened that she never would think would happen in a million, billion years.

That morning Barry had suggested the two of them get away from the house for a little while and go for a bike ride. Felicity had thought it was a great idea, feeling that she needed some space from everything that had been going on. So with an eager nod of acceptance, the two got dressed and hopped on the bikes, with no real destination in mind. She shot Oliver a quick text of her whereabouts in case he tried to look for her and put her back in her purse. After about ten miles into the bike ride, they stumbled upon a cute little breakfast place called Kristy's that was near the dunes and overlooked the ocean. It was there over waffles and pancakes that Barry revealed his feelings.

Felicity should have seen it coming. He was fine all morning, but when they arrived at Kristy's, she noticed how his hands would not stop shaking, especially when he would lift his mug of coffee from the table. There were droplets of coffee all over the table.

"Barry, everything okay?", she finally asked.

He chuckled nervously and began to run his hands over the top of his legs. "Yeah, yeah. Everything's cool. Fine, great even!" Felicity cocked her head to the side, wondering where Barry was going with this. "I just realized something this morning when I woke up and I want to share it with you, if that's okay of course." His hands were all over the place, in the air, running over his hair, nervously tapping the table.

Felicity nodded timidly and waited for Barry to just get out what he was trying to say already. And then as if a burst of confidence erupted in his body, Barry leaned across the table, taking Felicity's hands into his own. A bright smile appeared on his lips as he began. "Felicity, these past few weeks with you have been nothing short than amazing and I have loved every second of it. And then it just hit me like a ton of bricks this morning that my feelings for you are a lot more than I realized."

Her eyes grew wide as it all clicked in her mind. Barry was about to confess his love for her. No no no.

"Felicity, I think I'm falling in love with you. Now, I don't except you to feel the same, I mean I would hope that you would or could, but I don't want to pressure you or anything. I just needed to tell you."

Felicity just sat there, staring at him in silence, not having a clue what to say. Barry Allen was like a puppy and the last thing she wanted to do was break his heart. After a few beats and the feeling of an awkward tension growing between them, Felicity cleared her throat and pulled her hands back from Barry. She watched as his smile faltered, knowing what was coming next.

"Barry, while I think that was so sweet of you to say and think that you are an amazing guy, my feelings just aren't there yet, and I don't think they ever will be. I have been having the best time hanging out with you and getting to know you, but I don't think I see a future for us."  _Because my future is with Oliver,_ she thought to herself.

The look on his face broke her heart instantly, but Felicity could never lead him on. She was not the type of person and Barry was someone who didn't deserve that. "I'm so sorry, Barry," she continued, knowing that saying she was sorry would do nothing to ease the pain of rejection. But, she needed to say  _something_.

Barry shrugged his shoulders and tried his best to give a small smile. "You can't help how you feel. I won't lie to you, this sucks. But, I also don't want to be with someone who doesn't feel the same that I do."

Felicity could cry at how understanding Barry was. If she hadn't been so drastically in love with Oliver, she was sure Barry would be the one for her. "I guess we should head back and I'll pack up my things to go. I can call a cab to come bring me home."

"Barry, you don't have to leave! We still have a few days left here. I wouldn't want you to cut your vacation short because of this." Even as the words fell from her lips, she knew she wouldn't be able to change his mind. Who in their right mind would want to stay in a place with someone that just rejected them.

The two shared a look of acceptance before paying their bill at the diner and walking out, knowing this would be their last moments together.

\- - -

Oliver had just finished the last mile of his run when he saw Laurel lying out on a hot pink towel on the beach, her white bikini shining brightly in the sun. He sighed inwardly as he ran over to where she was, wishing he didn’t have to have this conversation with her. But, it was needed to order to finalize everything between them.

Laurel had been such a big part of his life and Oliver did love her. He just wasn’t in love with her like he was with Felicity. He had always told himself that Laurel was just filling the missing part of his heart that Oliver had always wanted to Felicity to fill. And now that he had her, and that Laurel seemed to have Tommy, maybe both of them would get the happy ending they really deserved.

He approached cautiously, not wanting to disturb Laurel in case she had fallen asleep, but she peeked out over her sunglasses at him as he came closer. A small smile graced her lips as sat up and patted the spot on the towel beside her, motioning for Oliver to take a seat beside her. He chose to sit on the sand instead.

The smile fell from her lips as he did so and she nervously played with her hair, neither of them knowing where to start. Oliver stared out at the ocean and let out a deep sigh, deciding it was time to break the silence.

“So you and Tommy, huh?”

Laurel’s cheeks flushed and it wasn’t because of the hot sun burning down on her. Her hands fell into her lap as she fiddled around with them and thought of the right words to say. When she realized there was none, she went with full blown honesty. “I can tell you when it happened. The day that I fell out of love with you and into love with Tommy. It was a year ago, after his huge New Year’s Eve bash at Verdant. You had to work the next day at the office, even though it was technically a holiday since it was the first day of the New Year, but your dad was resilient in going over his plans for the New Year.

Tommy had called you to invite us out for breakfast, or as he called it, a hangover smorgasbord to cure whatever ailed us from the night before.” She paused, thinking back on that day and she couldn’t stop the smile that overtook her face. “You said no, but offered the invite to me and I was feeling so lonely because you were working all the time and at that point, I had already developed some sort of feelings for Tommy that I agreed to go. And when Tommy picked me up and it ended up just being the two of us, laughing over pancakes and coffee about the night before and things about ourselves, and it just hit me. I felt so comfortable with him, so carefree, and he had reached over the table to grasp my hand in his, like he had felt it too, and I was done for.”

Laurel glanced over at Oliver, his body as still as a statue as he listened. “I don’t know why I accepted your proposal when I knew deep down that meeting you and being with you was supposed to lead me to Tommy. But, he was adamant about your friendship and the “bro code” that he didn’t want me to leave you. Even if it meant that he could never have me. Tommy is selfless like that, which surprised me after knowing what a womanizer he had been prior to meeting him. He just cares so much for you and the bond that you two have that he was willing to give up what was the truest love of his life and I obliged, because I loved him just the same.”

She let out a soft sigh and glanced back down at the now shaking hands in her lap, feeling the overwhelming sensation of her emotions overtaking her body. She had never fully admitted to any of that to anyone, and this being the first time really shook her up. “I’m so sorry, Ollie,” she continued, her voice shaking as her eyes welled up with tears. “The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you and I don’t know how we ended up in this mess, but we did. And I just want to fix it as best as we can.”

Oliver finally looked over at Laurel, and he felt as if he was truly seeing her for the first time. In the entire time that they had been together, Oliver had never seen that type of gut wrenching emotion pour out of her for him and it opened his eyes. The two of them were trying to fill some kind of void within them with each other, but it was never, ever enough. They always wanted more, always clung to the illusion that eventually they would be enough for each other. But then Laurel met Tommy and Oliver couldn’t stop loving Felicity.

He reached out and took one of her shaking hands in his, surprising Laurel as she looked up into his piercing blue eyes. “We just were never meant to be together. Both of our hearts were meant for someone else and you found yours and I always had mine. Mine was just harder to get. And I think I will always regret not fighting for her like I should have.”

Laurel’s brow furrowed as Oliver admitted to being in love with someone else, too. As she racked her brain to think of the girls had talked about from his past and who it could be, it all of a sudden hit her like a ton of bricks. She gasped loudly and her hand shot up to her mouth to cover it. “You are in love with Felicity!” she exclaimed. It wasn’t meant to come out as accusatory and she immediately regretted how it sounded.

“Not that that’s a bad thing,” she quickly backtracked. “I just am so mad at myself for never seeing it until now. It was so blatantly obvious; the two of you being in love with each other.”

She shook her head as Oliver scoffed loudly, laughing to himself. “Well, it wasn’t to either of us. Apparently we both missed the signals that we wanted to be more to each other.”

Laurel instinctively leaned over and placed her hand gently on his shoulder, her smile back on her lips. “You two were never good at communicating how you truly felt. I am still surprised about that night at the club when we first met and Felicity let you dance with me. I always thought she had a thing for you, but after that, I figured I was wrong. But clearly, I wasn’t.”

Her hand stayed there for a few beats before she gave it a squeeze and removed her hand, glancing down at the diamond on her finger. It was a beautiful ring and Laurel had loved it the moment she saw it. But, it never felt right when Oliver had slipped it onto her slender finger. It felt more like a weight on the relationship that was never meant to get this far.

She slipped it off and reached for Oliver’s hand, turning it so his palm was facing upwards. She placed the ring delicately in his palm and closed his hand, smiling softly at him. “This ring is meant for someone else. And she deserves it, as do you.” Oliver gazed at Laurel with amazement in his eyes with what she was doing. “I’ll always care for you, Ollie. We are just two completely different people in love with the ones who were meant for us. But no matter what, day or night, I’m here for you.”

Oliver cleared his throat, feeling himself getting emotional. He smiled grandly at Laurel and pulled her in for a hug. “Likewise for me, Laurel. You and Tommy are going to be so great together.”

“As will you and Felicity,” Laurel said, pulling back from his embrace. She smiled a little wider this time as she stated, “Now go and get your girl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all the feedback! If you have any suggestions you might want to see in this story, let me know! Coming up next: Felicity begins to get scared, Thea plans a romantic dinner for all, and Oliver breaks the news to Moira.


End file.
